Genuine
by Da98Ghetto
Summary: "Collect yourself, cherish the memories, keep moving forward." The early twenties has never been so nerve-racking.. (Rating might def go up) HxJ Plot
1. Our Early Morning

"The early twenties has never been so nerve-racking..."

* * *

><p>21-year-old Jazmine nibbled on her toast noisily, humming a frilly tune as she sat. Her legs dangled from the high chair, so she swung them happily. Her significant other sat in a regular chair next to her, not minding that she was high above him. He sat quietly as always, scanning the morning paper for current events to rant about.<p>

Jazmine watched how his eyes would dart across the clean print paper, or how his eyebrows would arch as he read. He would sigh heavily when he read something tragic or wrong, often wondering why such things were happing around the world. Then he would fold the page over, repeating this reading process.

The giddy mulatto didn't mind how quiet it was in the kitchen that morning, loving how the peacefulness would cascade around them. She cherished these moments, her nibbling on her toast and him reading his paper. It was nice, y'know? Like there was nothing more perfect. Then the Freeman boy opened his mouth, speaking for the first time that morning.

"If the government wants nothing to do with us, then why are they constantly raiding us for our money?" he said rather quietly, his brows scrunching together frustratingly. Jazmine didn't exactly catch that, not expecting him to speak so abruptly.

"Those pigs..." she said in response, not exactly sure what she was agreeing with. Huey did this so often that she adapted this as her go-to phrase, responding with it to agree with whatever political thing he was grumbling about at the time. Huey then folded his paper up neatly.

"Now can I read the comic section?" Jazmine asked with a smile, tiny bread crumbs decorating her cheeks as she looked at him. Huey didn't respond, checking his watch absentmindedly.

"Don't you have a doctor's appointment today?" he asked, glancing up at her with a frown. Jazmine widened her eyes, her smile growing cheesier as she swallowed her bread.

"A doctor's appointment? Nope, I don't think so," she said quickly, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice. Huey rolled his eyes, giving her an annoyed look.

"Why are you so afraid to go to the doctor? We've been through this. It's a tiny little check-up, and then you're free to go. Simple," he lectured, raising his hands in confusion.

Jazmine huffed. "I'm not scared of the doctor! I'm..I just don't like needles," she said defensively, crossing her arms and poking her bottom lip out. Huey pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It'll be quick. You won't even feel it!" he said exasperatedly.

Jazmine only shook her head stubbornly. "I'm not going."

"Jaz-"

"Nope."

"C'mon Jaz-"

"Not-uh."

Huey narrowed his eyes at her then, taking a deep breath. "Well, then I guess we can't see that new movie that you want to see so badly.." he said, shrugging his shoulders. Jazmine's mouth dropped in shock.

"What do you mean?! I have to see The Return of the Sparkle Pony! It's the sequel to the first one where Princess Sparkle had to defeat the evil witch doctor-"

Huey snorted and gave her a mocking look. "Why should I go with you to the movies if you won't do this one little thing for me?" he said.

Jazmine stopped swinging her legs in the high chair, furrowing her brows at him. She hated when he made valid points, often twisting her words around to make him right. She sighed heavily in defeat, rolling her eyes to show her frustration.

"Fine, I'll go to the dumb doctor to get an even dumber shot. Happy?"

"That's all I ask of you," Huey said simply.

"That's all I ask of you," Jazmine mimicked in a high-pitched voice, mocking him. Huey gave her the tiniest of amused looks before standing from his chair, a little proud that he won this little battle.

"Well then, I'm going to go take a shower-"

"Wait, you didn't eat any breakfast yet!"

"I'll pass on the burnt toast Jazmine."

"…But it's _good _burnt toast!"

Huey snorted, shooting her a questioning look before heading up the stairs to fulfill his morning routine. Jazmine pouted in response, now feeling lonely as she started to swing her feet again. The house's silence continued to drag out, making it seem louder when it really wasn't.

She finished off her toast, wiping the stray crumbs away, before hopping down from the highchair. Her rubber ducky slippers squeaked with every step as she headed for the stairs also, sighing grumpily.

She could hear the shower running as she stepped into their shared room. She noticed how the bathroom door was closed, Huey probably showering away. Jazmine then inched to the windows, opening the blinds to brighten the room a little. The TV was still on, meaning that they had forgotten to turn it off last night.

Jazmine then kicked off her slippers before laying down in the bed, stretching out with a yawn which was almost cat-like. She snuggled between the oversized silk feather-stuffed pillows, loving the immediate comfortableness. She pulled her night mask over her eyes, suddenly feeling the urge to go back to sleep just as a phone vibrated.

Jazmine removed the mask, looking over at the noisy phone.

It was Huey's.

She debated with herself a little, wondering if it would be okay if she answered it. She didn't wanted to seem like she was trespassing. But then again, they're _so_ far in their relationship. I mean, they have a freaking house together! If they don't have trust, then what's the point?

Jazmine snatched the phone, suddenly eager, turning the device on. The lock-screen popped up, followed by the password block. She knitted her brows together, a little confused. What did he need a password for? He trusts her right? _Hm, password, _Jazmine thought confusingly as she stared at the bright screen.

_What would his password be? Blackpower? _

She typed it in.

Incorrect.

Jazmine huffed. Then she smiled a little. _What if his password is my name?_

She typed it in.

Incorrect. Try again in 5 minutes.

Rolling her eyes at that, she whistled through her nose. If she had a password on her phone, it would be his name! Isn't that what all romantic couples do? Oh, that's right, Huey's not romantic. _Urgh. Why does he have to be so difficult?_

That's when she heard the shower water turn off, meaning that Huey would be out in any minute. Frightened, Jazmine turned his phone off and threw it back on the bed. The last thing she wanted was to be caught by the Freeman boy looking through his phone like a creep. Jazmine quickly acted "natural", throwing her arms behind her head as she laid against a pillow. Within seconds, the bathroom door flung open.

Huey stepped out, holding a white towel around his waist with one hand, the other fluffing up his afro with his pick. He was fresh and wet, his silky mocha skin seeming to glisten. Jazmine just about squeaked, smiling nervously up at him from her awkward position on the bed.

Huey looked at her, raising a curious eyebrow at her weirdness. Jazmine's smile only seemed to get bigger, the nervousness seeming to make her squirm. She glanced at his phone. It was only inches away from her, face down on the comforter and everything. Huey followed her eyes, arching his brow up even higher as he made his way over slowly.

Noting his sudden approach, she quickly snatched up his phone sitting up. "Huey..wait!" she sputtered, holding the phone close to her chest protectively.

"Wait? Why? What's wrong with my phone…" he asked, inching even closer till he was hovering over her. She continued to hold the phone out of his reach. Huey furrowed his eyebrows, really wondering now what was going. Jazmine's eyes widened as he tried to peel it from her hands.

"No, it's—I, wait!" she cried, the phone slipping into his grip.

Huey then turned on the phone, holding it high above Jazmine's reach as he read the bright screen quietly. "Incorrect. Try again in five minutes?" he mumbled to himself. He looked over at Jazmine confusingly again, who held the most frightened look possible. "You were trying to get into my phone?" he questioned.

"Yes, but it was only because it vibrated! I just wanted to…I don't know..! "Jazmine exclaimed, throwing her arms up in protest.

Huey looked at her a little longer before shrugging. "Okay, whatever. It's no big deal."

Jazmine gasped at that, even more shocked. "No big deal? It's a very big deal! Aren't you upset with me? You should be outraged that I was trying to violate your privacy! You-"

"Jaz-"

"You should feel betrayed! Like I don't trust you or something like that-"

"Jazmine!"

She looked up at him. "Yes?"

"I'm not angry, outraged, or even upset. I glad you were honest with me. That's all that matters right? I trust you," Huey said calmly, looking down at her with his wine eyes. Jazmine blinked, not understanding why he was being so calm about this.

"Well, then if you trust me, why do you have a password lock?" she asked smartly, narrowing her kiwi eyes at him suspiciously. Huey rolled his eyes at that, letting out some air from his mouth in exhaustion.

"I couldn't figure out how to take it off," He said simply, giving his shoulders a shrug. Jazmine considered this before shrugging also.

"Okay. So, just so we're on the same page…what is your password?"

Huey's cheeks then brightened a little, darting his eyes to the side. "Well, I mean, it's a simple password…nothing complex or anything like that.."

Jazmine grinned, loving his tenseness. "Okay…and..?" she said, urging him to continue.

Huey scratched his head, looking around. "Gee..it's really hot in here. Want me to turn the air condition-"

"Tell me Huey!" Jazmine giggly demanded.

He sighed heavily in defeat. "It's Ju…" he mumbled.

"What?" Jazmine questioned, not catching the last part.

"Ju…" Huey repeated grumpily.

"Come again?"

"It's Juey!" Huey yelled then, throwing his arms up in frustration.

Jazmine tapped her chin in response..evaluating this. Then she grinned. "Huey plus Jazmine…equals Juey! Awwh, I love it!" she exclaimed joyfully, throwing her arms around his still wet back. Huey only sighed in response, feeling completely drained. _Yeah, great talk Jazmine,_ He thought sarcastically.


	2. The Doctor's Not In Today, Sorry

Huey glanced at his watch with a sigh, slouching deeper into the seat. He and Jazmine had been sitting in the doctor's waiting room for only a minute or two, but it seemed like forever because of the heavy nervous breaths coming from Jazmine in the seat next to him. Huey watched her wide eyes dart here and there in the somewhat crowded room, her nervousness having no end.

"Y'know, maybe if you'd calm down, this wouldn't seem so bad," Huey said, raising an eyebrow at her. Jazmine met his gaze, only to roll her eyes impatiently.

"Well, it's not like you're trying to calm me down, so suggesting it doesn't make a difference, _genius,_" she grumbled back. Huey rolled his own eyes at that. She was always throwing in his face how uncompassionate he was sometimes toward her. It wasn't a surprise after all. In fact, it should be expected. Since when was Huey the compassionate one?

He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, sensing the now uneasy silence between them, both of their impatient breaths seizing the air. He wanted to calm her down, but how? Hug her? No, last time he did that, she went into a fit of giggles because it was so out of character for him. Huey frowned at the thought. So instead, settled on holding her hand, intertwining their fingers casually.

Jazmine looked down at their locked hands, smiling her brilliant smile despite her stance. She scooched in a little until their shoulders were touching, making her curly hair lightly tickle his nose. "That's better," she whispered, her quick breathing already seeming to slow. Huey only sighed in relief, satisfied with his simple move.

This was his girl. The one and only Jazmine Dubois. He'd be marrying her—hopefully. They already had a nice house together, so why not seal the deal? Just the thought of her officially belonging to him, wedding ring and all, made his heart flutter. He could tell that she was waiting for him to ask, because every time the topic of marriage came up, she'd blush like a little school girl. But Huey wasn't dwelling on the matter at the moment. They were only 21, after all. Too young to really know what's best for the both of them.

"Ms. Dubois?" the receptionist at the front desk then said, glancing up from her computer screen and into the crowd. Both of them looked up, already making a move to stand. The receptionist looked their way, assuming it was their scheduled appointment. "Unfortunately, Dr. Lambert isn't in today. We'll have to reschedule your appoint-"

"Yes, thank god!" Jazmine practically yelled, jumping up with excitement and thrusting her fist in the air as if she just won some championship game. The crowd stirred, growing silent as everyone just stared awkwardly their way. Huey pinched the bridge of his nose, loathing the undesired attention, and the receptionist just stared, dumbfounded at Jazmine.

The happy little mulatto opened her eyes again, realizing that she was the only happy soul that was celebrating. "Um, sorry," she said quickly, glancing around and slowly bringing down her fist. Huey sighed.

The receptionist spoke again, clearing her throat. "Now, would you like to reschedule your appointment?"

Huey nodded before Jazmine could protest, stepping forward to work out the details. "How's two sound? Tomorrow maybe?"

The lady typed at her keyboard behind her desk, only to frown. "Looks like the doctor won't be in until for two weeks. Is that okay, sir?"

Huey looked from the receptionist to Jazmine, who was already smiling again at the slight delay. He then nodded with a sigh, turning back to the lady.

"Yes, two weeks sounds fine."

Jazmine buckled her seatbelt happily. "Now can we go to the movies to see-"

"No," Huey stated bluntly.

Jazmine turned to him in her seat, already ready to put up a fight. "Why? You said if I went to the doctor's office, then we could go! So I went-"

"Yeah, but you didn't actually get to see the doctor Jazmine."

She huffed. "That wasn't in the deal! Plus, it's not my fault that the stupid doctor wasn't there! I should deserve a reward for just being a brave soul and following through with your-"

"Hold, on. Did you say _brave?_" Huey questioned as he put the car into drive, backing it out of the parking lot. Jazmine rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her petite chest.

"Because I _was_ brave," she muttered grumpily.

Huey shook his head, the tiniest look of amusement on his face. "No Jaz, you weren't a 'brave soul' today." He glanced at her, fighting the urge to smile at the way her face was scrunched up. She just hated to be mocked by him.

"I was kidding, y'know. I was taking you the movies anyway," Huey said then, trying to lift her spirits even though this was very amusing to him. Jazmine brightened up at that, straightening in her seat.

"You mean it?"

Huey nodded in response, his eyes back on the road. Jazmine could only smile from ear-to-ear. She loved surprises, anyone with a brain knew that. But the best surprises were when Huey was involved, which would make her smile until her face was stuck, cheesin' and all.

"Oh, Huey, this movie is going to be absolutely amazing!" she exclaimed in excitement then, cupping her cheeks in her hands happily.

Huey snorted. "You say that about every movie, Jazmine."

"Because every movie is absolutely amazing!"

"Every movie?"

"Every movie!"

Huey shook his head, wondering how this girl managed to surprise him every time, even when he knew her like the back of his hand. "If every movie is amazing…then how are bad movies amazing?"

Jazmine considered this before scrunching up her nose again. "Hush Huey. All you do is question things when you open your mouth…"

Huey snorted. "But when I _don't_ open my mouth, it irks you?"

"Extremely."

"Well, you can't have it both ways-"

She was giggling now. "I'll make it work, Freeman."

And that's what they do. Make things work. They've had this motto since the beginning when things were still a little skeptical between them, Jazmine with her whining ten-year-old self, and Huey with his cold and non-relatable ten-year-old self. And it's been working ever since, slowly and unbelievably, they grew closer. Crazy, right?


	3. Gummy Bears and Movie Tickets

"Uhm…hm—let's see…" Jazmine said, squinting as she evaluated the movie theatre's concession sign with deep thought. Huey stood next to her, pinching the bridge of his nose.

It had been 4 minutes..going on 5.

The cashier waited impatiently, though she made sure she plastered a rather cheerful smile toward them, hoping that'd she'd get a tip for being so friendly. "Take your time Miss," she chirped. At this, the long line behind them erupted with groans and sighs.

Jazmine tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Do you guys have cotton candy-"

Huey sighed impatiently. "Do you see cotton candy up there Jazmine?"

"Er…no."

"Then no, they don't have cotton candy."

Jazmine shifted from one foot to the other. "Okay, no cotton candy. Got it. How about..."

"Oh for god's sake," Huey muttered hotly, stepping in front of Jazmine in utter annoyance. "She'll have a small popcorn, extra butter, with a large cherry slurpee and a bag of gummy bears," he said, already taking his wallet out.

Jazmine's mouth dropped.

"Finally!" the line cheered.

The cashier wasted no time, already tapping at her cash register and saying, "Okay, sir. That'll be 10.50." Huey handed her the exact amount of money. The lady then handed him his receipt, gesturing for them to step to the side as she took the next costumer's order.

Jazmine turned to Huey immediately as soon as they were a few feet to the side. "How'd you know that that's what I wanted…out of everything on that menu?" she asked, her eyes wide and curious.

Huey glanced at her before shrugging. "Because that's what you always get, even after contemplating about it."

She considered this. "But, the last time we went was like…a year ago. You remembered that all this time?"

"Mhm."

Jazmine's shocked face turned into a shy smile, her cheeks tinging red. "That's really sweet of you, y'know?"

"I guess," Huey replied with another shrug of his shoulders, his own cheeks warming a little. This earned a tiny giggle from Jazmine, just as the cashier called them back over.

"A small popcorn, extra butter, with a large cherry slurpee and a bag of gummy bears," the lady said, setting everything on the counter. Huey grabbed the popcorn and slurpee, as Jazmine simply handled the bag of gummy bears with a smile. They headed for the ticket vender, Huey digging in his pocket for their tickets, holding the popcorn and drink uncomfortably to his side.

Upon finding the designated tickets, Huey handed them to the vender, who then directed them down the hallway to his left, pointing his gloved index finger. The two of them trailed down the rather dark walkway, reading the above titles for their movie. Well, for _Jazmine's movie_, because Huey didn't give a care in the world to see the film.

It was a chick flick, after all.

"Are you going to make sarcastic comments throughout the whole movie like you always do, Huey?" Jazmine asked as they took their seats. She was thinking about asking the question all day.

"No Jaz."

"You sure?"

"Uh-huh."

"Positive?"

Huey rolled his eyes. "Yes Jazmine, I won't say a word, no matter how awful and low-budget this movie truly is." Jazmine sat back comfortably then, satisfied with his answer. She'd been waiting for the sequel of this movie all year, so the last thing she needed was Huey complaining about how stupid it was.

The theater's lights started to dim, signaling that the film was about to start. Jazmine rested her head on Huey's shoulder, who pulled her closer to his side.

"_Oh..my..god.._it's starting!" She whisper-yelled, her emerald eyes dancing with excitement. Huey only shook his head, preparing himself for the worst. He was about to witness the worst movie of his life…probably worse than Soul Plane, the movie his Granddad forced him to watch when he was ten.

Huey sighed, slouching in his seat a little. _Oh here we go,_ he thought in defeat. Jazmine glanced up at him, grinning when she saw the familiar scowl on his face. She laced their fingers together, trying to lift his spirits. She knew he wasn't exactly happy to have to sit there for an hour and a half through the cheesiest movie anyone could ever imagine, but he promised her he would. So there he was, sitting with her, keeping his promise.

_It's just an hour and a half Huey,_ Jazmine thought with a giggle, squeezing his hand as she turned her eyes back to the movie screen.

* * *

><p>"So, did you like the movie?"<p>

"It was an hour and a half of my life wasted."

Jazmine laughed. "An hour and a half wasted with me!"

Huey snorted, rolling his eyes.

The two of them walked to the car together, well, Jazmine skipped while Huey trudged behind, but you could still say they were walking together. It was nice to see 21-year-old Jazmine skip, reminding Huey that she was still her chirpy 10-year-old self. It was refreshing, almost. Like, even when you grow up, a part of your old self is still thriving.

"Even though you didn't like it, I'm still glad you came with me, y'know?" Jazmine continued as they both stepped into the car, a wide grin on her face. Buckling their seatbelts, Huey put the key in ignition.

"_Anything _for Jazmine Dubois," Huey said sarcastically.

Jazmine narrowed her eyes at him. "Was that sarcasm?"

"Possibly."

Huey had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep the threatening smile off his lips. Oh, he just loved teasing the chirpy mulatto at every moment he got. It was something they did often, playfully provoking one another to get a rise out of each other. It may not seem like what a healthy couple would do, but if you knew this extraordinary not-so-expected couple, you would understand completely.

Jazmine raised an eyebrow at him, something she did little of, and quirked her lips to the side. She recognized the way his mouth was held, probably withholding the smile that always wanted to tug at his lips. "You're something else, Freeman," she said, a smile of her own crawling onto her petite lips, the car pulling out of the parking lot.


End file.
